Method and apparatus for shoring up a storage tank during construction thereof



May 26, 1959 PURswELL ET AL 2,888,298 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHoRNGUPA STORAGE l TANK DURNG coNSTRUcToN THBREOF Fied MaTGh 15. 1956 scaffo1d,and 1aftic111arly the Scaffold p1anks 12, to each othef and to the tankSheH, vVhefeby the scaffold will becon1e a figid feinfoTcing nfenlberfor the tank sho11 aS IZe11 aS pToviding a crew Vofking area. ThUS, theuse of the nlentioned guy lineS rnay be e1in1inated of SubStan tia11yTed11ced. 1vhile the affangenlent ITlay be secured in nany vvayS, SIlchaS by bo1ting, to each othef and to the bracket, the inventioninCorpofates a paTticu1aTly nove1 c1amp Which I1tiliZes ffiction toquick1y forn1 the feinfofcing nlen1bef. II1 this Inannef the SCaffoldneed not be designed foT tankS having Specific dianleterS but can befeadily accoIIlIT1odated to tankS of varying diafnetefS,

Difecting attention to FigufeS 4 thfongh 6, it vvi11 be Seen that thec1an1p pTefefably CoInpfiSeS a hofizonta1 1ocking bar 15, Said baf maybe made Up of Spaced pafa1- 1e1 baTS 18 and 20 having a plufaHty ofSpacer Segments 22 fixed1y Secufing baTS 18 and 20 togethef. At oppositeendS of 1()cki1g bafS 20, vertica1 tie bafS 24, 24 afe InoUnted iI1veftica11y n1ovable felationShip thefewith by being S1idab1y feceivedvvithin the fornled s1of 25. The tie baTS 24 have theif opposite endSbent in hook-Hke faShion as at 28, 28 the puT OSe of which vil1hefeinafteT be descfibed. Each tie n1en1ber of bar 24 is provfded With aplura1ity of verticaHy off-Set, vertica11y eXtended Wedge TeceivingS1otS 30.

To ntiHZe the n1ethod and apparatuS of tho hefein diS- CloSed inventionand to provide feinforceInent of the tank She11 Undef conStruction, thebfacketS afe fst SecUrely Inounted in poSition on the tank shelL ThepIanks 12 are thon SUp ortab1y Inounted on the bfackets vvith the endSof the p1anks in oveflapping Te1ationShip With each othef. 11Zith theplankS 12 in such )oSition, the claITlping arrangen1ent iS then 1ocatedWith a locking bar 20 in overlying felationShip to the plankS 12 (Figure3), and the tie baTS 24 in en1bfacing felatioI1Ship zith the outer edgeSof the p1ankS. T11e loWef hook poftion 28 of each tie bar 24 iS affangedto eInbface the downWard1y ex tending f1ange of the baf 8 (Figofe 3).Tapefed wedge keyS 34 ale then i11Sefted in the appropriate keyTeceiving S1ot 30 of each tie nlen1bef 24, and dfiven invvardly toveftica11y c1an1 the plankS 12 betv/een the 1ocking baT 20 andhoTiZontal bar 8. ther tapefed keyS 35 afe po Sitioned within t11e S1ot2o outwardly of each ti baT 24 and driven firn11y into poSition, toclan1p the boardS 12 tightly betWeen the tie bafs 2, i1 a horizontaldifection. vvith the Scao1ding Xed1y 1ocked in place in thiS Inan ner, arigfd Teinfofcing ITlenbef iS pTovided fo1 a poftion of of the entifetank ShelL 1 havo fL11Thef diScovered that to i11cfeaSe the feinfofcingeffectivenesS of the af fa1gen1ent the endS of the Scaffold boardSneafeSt the she11 afe pfeferab1y affanged fo engage the She11 Sufface aSat 38, 38. It iS a1So pfefefable that the tie baTS 24 beaf on both theadiacent p1ankS 12 at the vertica1 1ine of iI1nctufe between the uppefand 1oWer over1ap )ing plankS, thuS app1ying hofiZontal c1ampingpreSSufe to both the uppef and lovvef planks. It v/i11 a1so be notedthat the Uppef hook poftion 28 of tie baf 24, iS pfovided to pfevent thotie baf ffon1 accidenta11y becon1i1g diS aSSeInb1ed ffom the 1ocking baf20,

1t vvi11 be undefStood that 1 have pfovided a nove1 n1ethod andapPafatuS for quick1y and eaSi1y teTnporarily feinfofcing a tank She11dUfing 11eld efection whic11 uti- 1izeS ceftain Stfuctnfe that isalfeady pfeSent and a 1eceS Sary incident fo S11ch field efectioI1. Thefesu1t iS a considerable fedtIcfion in the fie1d 1abof involved in avoiding potentia1 Wind danlage to the tan1( Undef constfuction. A fUrthefadvantage to the invention diSCloSed occufs When tankS are conStfuctedin conned blIi1t Up areaS vVith the fesu1t that adjacent Structufesinteffefe With pfopef poSitioning of guy 1ines, obvioUS1y, the inventionhefe e1iIninates the need fo1 extenSive guying up Space in that the tankis shoTted Up entife1y vvithin its ovvn afea, thiS So1ving thiS dicu1ty,

The fofegoing description is by Way of il111st1ation and not 1iInitationand the hefein diSc1oSed invention n1ay be Snbiect to vafiouSn1odiHcations without depafting ffon1 the SpiTit there()f of the Scopeof the appended c1aiInS.

We claim:

1. 111 an affaogement fof tempofaTi1y feinfofcing the She11 of a fieldefected stofage tank dufing conSffuction t11efeof, the co1bination of ap1urality of SUppofting bTacketS teInpofafi1y secufed to the SheH atspaced intef valS and aTound the entife pefiphery of the she11, a p111-fa1ity of independent plank membefs aIfanged in endtoend adiacentfe1ationship and extending betWeen and Suppofted by the bfacketS toforTn a continuous scao1d aTound the entife pefiphery of Said she11, anda p111fa1ity of IneanS interconnecting the 1ank Inen1beT ends and thefeSpective bfacketS to Xed1y SecUfe the endS t() each other and to therespective bTacketS whefeby the Scao1d formS a tempofary figidfeinfofcing membef for the She11.

27 /n affangeInent accofding to c1aiIn 1, Whefein each bracket iSpTovided vvith a Substantially hofizontal baf to Support the plankInen1befS, and each nleans conpfiSeS a 10cking bar to ovef1ie the p1ankIneInber endS, at 1eaSt one tie IneInbef novab1y aSSociated with one ofthe baTs, said tie IIleInbef being 1ockingly engageab1e With the otherbar, and nleanS in dfiving vve(1ge engagement vvith the tie Inen1bef andone of Said bafS to fixedly and frictionany claInp the Te1ated plankInen1befS between the bars,

In an aTfangefnent fof ten1poraTi1y feinfofcing the SheH of a neIdefected Stofage tank during construction thereof, the coInbination of aplurality of Scaffold S11p porting bfacketS Secufed to a continuousshe11 ring in spaced Te1ation to each othef, each bfacket havfng a 11ofiZonta1 bar, Scaffold p1ankS extending betvveen the vaTionS bracketS andhaving their adiacent endS in ovof1apping re1ationShip with each othefand Suppofted by the hofizontal bafS, 1ocking bafS having S1otS in theendS thefeof and affanged to overlie said 1aI1k endS, tie Inen1befSS1idably Teceived in the Slots at oppoSite endS of each 1ocking baT andaffanged to Teceive the p1ank ends thefe betvveen, hooks oI1 at leaStone end of the tie II1en1bers operable to gfaSp f11e felated horizonta1bar, vvedge keys dfiVingly inteTpoSed between the tie Inen1befS and1ocking baf whefeby the p1ankS afe fixed1y damped betWeen the 1ockingbaf and the hoIizonta1 baT and the tie Inen1befS, vVhefoby thearfangen1ent fovides a teT1 )oTaTy rigid fein fofoiog member fof t11esheIL 4. In an affangen1ent fof ten1pofari1y feinfoTcing t11e She11 of af1eld erected Stofage tank during conStruction thefeof accofding toolaim 3, Whefein ceftai11 of said plankS have portionS thefeof drect1yengaging the she11,

5. As an aIficle of InanufactUe, a c1an1p fof l1Se in an affangement ofthe type deScfibed, Said c1amp com pfiSing an e1ongated 1ocking bafhaving s1ots odiacent the oppoSite ends thefeof, tie n1eIT1befs n1ovablyfeceived in Said S1ofs fof n1oveInent in a difection SubStantiallypefpendiculaf to the 1ong axiS of Said locking baf, Wedge nleansreceivable in the s1ots outboafdly of said n1en1 befS, hook 1)ortionSfoTIned on adiacent endS of Said tie membefS, each of Said tie nlemberShaving a p1ua1ity of e1ongated 1ineafly oSet vvedge Teceiving SlotSthefein, and othef vodge means Selective1y receivab1e in Said 1aStInentioned s1ots.

1efefeceS C1feo in the f11e of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 451,174SInith et a1 oct. 13, 1891 1,020,154 Syn1onS Mar. 12, 1912 1,148,322Kees 1n1y 27, 1915 1,6S2,403 Gefdeman Dec, 13, 1927 2,414,538 LaII1b1an. 21, 1947 2,471,4S9 Stich May 31, 1949 2,539,9S1 A1lenbaugh May 25,1953 FoREIGN PATENTS 563,833 Gern1any Aug. 15, 1938

